Potholes? This Maharashtra city allows residents to alert officials with app

Potholes plague roads across Pimpri-Chinchwad, prompting the municipal corporation to launch a digital solution. The Smart Sarathi app allows residents to photograph potholes, mark their precise GPS locations, and describe their size, thereby facilitating faster repairs. Municipal Commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi announced this 'Report Pothole' feature, stating that citizens can upload photos and details about each pothole.

Officials have inspected and repaired 2,247 out of the reported 2,247 potholes, though residents dispute the numbers. Abhay Bhor, a small-scale industries representative, argues there are likely over 1,000 potholes alone in the Pimpri-Chinchwad-Bhosari MIDC area. Advocate Sushil Mancharkar, a Nehrunagar resident, questions why roads remain in poor condition year after year, lamenting the lack of proper road construction.

The PCMC has repaired 1,733 of the 2,247 potholes, with the remaining work underway. Potholes are distributed unevenly across the city's 10 wards, with Ward 'E' having the highest number of affected roads. Additionally, 133 out of 240 potholes under the urban transport department and eight out of nine in the civil projects department have been filled.